In this Book
- The Primal Roots of American Philosophy: Pragmatism, Phenomenology, and Native American Thought
- Book
- 2000
- Published by: Penn State University Press
- Series: American and European Philosophy
summary
Continuing his quest to bring American philosophy back to its roots, Bruce Wilshire connects the work of such thinkers as Thoreau, Emerson, Dewey, and James with Native American beliefs and practices. His search is not for exact parallels, but rather for fundamental affinities between the equally "organismic" thought systems of indigenous peoples and classic American philosophers.
Wilshire gives particular emphasis to the affinities between Black Elk’s view of the hoop of the world and Emerson’s notion of horizon, and also between a shaman’s healing practices and James’s ideas of pure experience, willingness to believe, and a pluralistic universe. As these connections come into focus, the book shows how European phenomenology was inspired and influenced by the classic American philosophers, whose own work reveals the inspiration and influence of indigenous thought.
Wilshire’s book also reveals how artificial are the walls that separate the sciences and the humanities in academia, and that separate Continental from Anglo-American thought within the single discipline of philosophy.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Part Two: Further Reclamations
- pp. 89-160
- 9. Henry Bugbee: The Inward Morning
- pp. 153-160
- Part Three: Taking Stock
- 10. Ways of Knowing
- pp. 163-174
- 14. Shamanism, Love, Regeneration
- pp. 219-236
Additional Information
ISBN
9780271052700
Related ISBN(s)
9780271020259
MARC Record
OCLC
49414690
Pages
256
Launched on MUSE
2012-09-21
Language
English
Open Access
No